Butane system



June 1942- R. BAKER ETAL 2,286,050

BUTANE SYSTEM I Filed Oct. 15, 1940 I5 2o E1 1 2 F131 4 7 I0 I 8 i Robin B alrer James 6, F1 emjn z INVENT B I. M

' ATTORNEY.

Patented June 9, 1942 BUTANE SYSTEM I Robin Baker, Lockney, and James C. Fleming,

- Lubbock, Tex.

Application October 15, 1940, Serial No. 361,322

' 7 Claims. (01. 62-1) This invention relates to an improvement in butane systems for vaporization of hydrocarbon fuel such as butane or the like. 7

In many systems used heretofore for the storage and dispensing of liquefied hydrocarbon gases,

be combustible readily unless more primary and secondary air is added.

The object of'this invention is to improve the dispensing system to insure that all of the fuel supplied to the point of use will be completely and thoroughly vaporized. Due to a constant dewpointor boiling point there is little likelihood of condensation in the conduit.

This object is accomplished preferably by a heat exchange relation between the'conduit and a liquid that is circulated therearound in a thermo-syphon circulating system, which preferably has a section in the body of fuel in the tank to .utilize the sensible heat thereof for circulating said liquid and for vaporizing the fuel in the tank.

This preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig.) is a verticalsectional view through the storage tank and circulating tank, with pipe connections in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view therethrough on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the filling housing, with portions broken away.

The numeral I represents a storage tank designed to contain liquefied gaseous fuel under sufficient pressure to maintain the same in aliquid condition. The fuel usually employed con-- tains a mixture of hydrocarbons with a high percentage of butane, or is essentially liquefied butane gas, that may be held as a body of liquid in the tank I. This tank is preferably buried in the ground in the usual way, although this q is not essential, but when buried, the temperature of the earth aids in maintaining the liquefied gas in the proper condition for use.

Extending into the tank I is a withdrawal tube. {which terminates adjacent the bottom ofqthe tank to withdraw the fuel therefrom in the liquid phase. At its upper end the liquid with# drawal tube 2 is connected with an automatic point of use.

shut-oif valve 3 and manual control valve 4, to a high pressure regulator 5. Said regulatoris of the usual character designed to reduce the pressure of the fuel passing therethrough, and to ac complish an initial vaporization thereof.

From the regulator 5 extends a pipe line 6 which passes into a tank 1, shown as supported above the storage tank I and as auxiliary there- The pipe preferably extends through the auxiliary tank I in the form of a coil 8 to increase the heat exchange relation with the interior of the tank. From the coil 8 the pipe extends to a low pressure regulator shown at 9 from which the service pipe I ll extends to the In passing through this line 2-40, the liquefied gas is initially withdrawn from the tank I, vaporized in passing through the first stage regulator 5, and normally would be still further vaporized at a lower pressure in passing through the second stage regulator 9 to the point of consumption. However, not all of the liquefied gas is initially vaporized in passing through the regulator 5, or recondenses thereafter, and to insure of a complete vaporization thereof and of a revaporization of any condensed gas, it is circulated through the coil 8 which is immersed in a low freezing liquid in the auxiliary tank I. This liquid may be of the character of pentane orke'rosene which will warm the gas flowing through the coil 8 to maintain the gaseous condition thereof or to revaporize the same if it should be condensed.

The auxiliary tank I is connected in a thermo syphon circulating system which includes a coil ll disposed in the bottom portion of the tank I will tend to chill the body of liquid substantially filling said tank around the coil 8, which will cause the thermal instability in the circulating system ll-H, whereby the circulating liquid from the tank I will flow downward from the coldest part of the tank I through the pipe I3 and coil ll, being warmed by the sensible heat of the body of liquefied fuel in the tank I, and then the warming of said liquid in the circulating system will cause it to flow up through the pipe M to the top of the auxiliary tank E. This circulation ofthe warmer liquid from the tank l around the coil 8 will cause a vaporization or revaporization of any liquefied or condensed fuel passing through or in the coil.

Pipes i and it are attached to the 'top of the tank 5 to allow for the filling of the tank with the liquid butane. A gauge device l? is provided in the tank for the purpose of determining the liquid level for the body of fuel therein. A pressure gauge 58 (Fig. 3) may be provided also, connected with the pipe t, to determine the pressure in the system.

These filling and gauging devices are preferably enclosed in a housing l9 provided with a hinged cover 20 located at or above the surface of the ground for access thereto, which housing may be filled with insulting material, if desired.

A filling pipe 2! is shown for the auxiliary tank i to insure of this tank being constantly filled to obtain the proper flow of the warming liquid through the thermo-syphon system.

We claim:

1. A process of dispensing liquefied gas from a tank comprising retaining a body of said gas under pressure in said tank, withdrawing liquefied gas from the tank, at least partially vaporizing thewithdrawn liquid by reducing the pres-- sure thereof, passing the partially vaporized liquid through a medium for imparting heat thereto for further vaporization thereof, and thermo-syphonically circulating said medium through the body of liquid in the tank.

2. A fuel supply apparatus comprising a tank adapted to contain liquid under pressure, means to withdraw the liquid from said tank, means for at least partially vaporizing said withdrawn liquid, an auxiliary tank containing a heat exchange medium, means for conveying the said partially vaporized liquid through said heat exchange medium contained within the auxiliary tank, and means interconnected with the firstmentioned tank in position for circulating the heat exchange medium through the liquid under pressure therein without mixture therewith to warm said medium and induce thermo-circulation of said medium through said auxiliary tank upon passing said vaporized liquid through said heat exchange medium.

3. A fuel supply apparatus comprising a tank adapted to contain liquid under pressure, means to withdraw the liquid from said tank, means for at least partially vaporizing said withdrawn liquid, an auxiliary tank containing a heat exchange medium, means for conveying the said partially vaporized liquid through said heat exchange medium contained within the auxiliary tank, means interconnected with. the first-mentioned tank in position for circulating the heat exchange medium through the liquid under pressure therein without mixture therewith to warm said medium and induce thermo-circulation of said medium through said auxiliary tank upon passing said vaporized liquid through said heat exchange medium, and a second pressure regulator connected with said conveying means for 'reducing the pressure of the vaporized liquid.

4. A fuel supply apparatus comprising a tank adapted to contain a body of liquefied gas under pressure, a heat exchange apparatus associated with said tank and including an auxiliary tank containing a body of heat exchange liquid, a

thermo-circulating system connected with said auxiliary tank and including a coil in the firstmentioned tank within the body of liquefied gas therein for circulating the heat-exchange liquid therethrough, a coil in said auxiliary tank, and mean for withdrawing gas from the first-mentioned tank under reduced pressure into the coil in the auxiliary tank.

5. A fuel supply apparatus'comprising a tank adaptedito contain a body of liquefied gas under pressure, a heat exchange apparatus associated with said tank and including an auxiliary tank containing a body of heat exchange liquid, at thermo-circulating system connected with said auxiliary tank and including a coil in the firstmentioned tank within the body of liquefied gas therein for circulating the heat-exchange liquid therethrough, a coil in said auxiliary tank, and means for withdrawing gas from the first-mentioned tank under reduced pressure into the coil in the auxiliary tank, a service pipe line connected with the last-mentioned coiLand a second stage pressure reducer connected between said coil and the service pipe line.

6. A fuel supply apparatus comprising a tank adapted to contain liquefied gas under pressure, means for withdrawing the liquefied gas from a point adjacent the bottom of said tank, means for at least partially vaporizing said withdrawn liquefied gas, an auxiliary tank containing a heat exchange medium, means for conveying said withdrawn gas from said vaporizing means through said heat exchange medium contained within the auxiliary tank without mixture therewith, and means inter-connected with the firstmentioned tank in position for circulating the heat exchange medium from the auxiliary tank through the liquefied gas in said firstementioned tank in heat exchange relation but without mixture therewith.

7. A fuel supply apparatus'comprising a tank adapted to contain liquefied gas under pressure, means for withdrawing the liquefied gas from a point adjacent the bottom of said tank, means for at least partially vaporizing said withdrawn liquefied gas, an auxiliary tank containing a heat exchange medium, means for conveying said withdrawn gas from said vaporizing means through said heat exchange medium contained within the auxiliary tank without mixture therewith, means inter-connected with the first-mentioned tank in position for circulating the heat exchange medium from the auxiliary tank through the liquefied gas in said first mentioned tank in heat exchange relation but without mixture therewith, a service pipe line connected with the conveying means, and a second stage pressure reducer connected in said pipe line.

JAMES C. FLEMING. ROBIN BAKER, 

